The Maharaja’s Gold Cup, with an increased total prize money of ₹50 lakh, will be held at Bangalore Turf Club (BTC) here on Sunday. This edition of one of the oldest races in India is co-sponsored by Zavaray Poonawalla.
“The Maharaja’s Gold Cup was the most iconic event in Indian racing. The Derby came later. We want to bring back the iconic status associated with the Maharaja’s Gold Cup. The Maharajas in the 19th century instituted the race at the Agram Ground, which was later run at the current BTC premises.
“Records show that the winner’s prize money for the Maharaja’s Gold Cup back then was ₹2,000, which was a humungous amount at the time,” BTC Chairman Uday Eswaran said at a press conference here on Friday.
“We have the eight best four-year-olds in the country competing in this race. It will be a fantastic race,” Eswaran said.
Increased stakes
“The stake money for a prestigious race like The Maharaja’s Gold Cup was so small. We have brought it back to a high level now with the increased stake money,” Eswaran added.
“The Maharaja’s Gold Cup is the only graded race in the country run over 2,200 metres. It’s great to see the race back in a stronger avatar. It would have been a tragedy to see this race languish and fade away,” said BTC steward Naval Narielwalla.
The traditionally-styled trophy, which was unveiled at the press conference, will be presented by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar.
